Stop sign



July 19, 1932. LE RoY N. coNsER STOP SIGN Filed Nov. 7, 1931 gva/uente@ LeRoy/Vionfr Patented July 19, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STOP SIG-N Application fded. November '7, 1931. Serial No. 573,687.

This invention relates to danger signs or stop signs such as are used on roads and 1n streets for the purpose of signaling drivers to stop or providing other driving indications 5 for automobiles. Signs of this character, if rigidly mounted and supported by a heavy base, form a constant menace to automobiles and have led to many accidents. Therefore, signs have been provided which are flexibly supported upon the base so that if struck by an automobile, the sign will be knocked over without serious damage to the automobile and, under some circumstances, the sign is so constructed that it will be returned to an upright position after it has been knocked down.

Signs of this character are very liable to be injured by the autombile or to injure it and the object of this invention is to provide a stop sign or signal which, if struck by the wheels of an automobile, will be freely depressed without forming any impediment to the movement of the automobile and as soon as the automobile passes, the sign will be raised again and in this connection an object of the invention is to provide a sign which is buoyantly supported in a liquid tank formed in the roadway so that when struck, the sign will be depressed into the liquid in the tank and will rise again as soon as the vehicle has passed.

A further object is to so construct the sign that it may be depressed at one end or the other and may be depressed if struck athwart the sign or at its ends.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a tank having my stop sign applied thereto, the signal being shown in elevation;

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2 2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary elevation on the line 3 3 of Figure 1;

Referring to these igures, 10 designates a 45 street pavement or roadway and 11 a tank formed therein and depressed below the level of the roadway and containing liquid of any suitable character. Disposed within the liquid is a float 12 having one or more upward- 5o ly extending tubular portions 13 supporting a hollow body 14 which,as shown, is approximately triangular in cross section, the apex of the triangle being rounded. The ends 15 of the hollow body, as shown in Figure 3 are transversely rounded and one or more sides `5 of the hollow body may have traic indications painted or otherwise formed thereon. I have illustrated this sign as being provided with the word Stop but I do not wish to be limited to this, as obviously it might have the words No left turn or other words of direction thereon.

It is obvious that the hollow body might be illuminated at night by a lamp shown in dotted lines in Figure 2 and the words might be transparent or semi-transparent so that they can be seen at night. The lamp could be obviously Wired so that the signal can rise or be depressed without .disturbing the electrical connections. I do not wish to be limited, except as defined in the appended claims, to the particular form of hollow body as this might be modiiied in many ways. It is obvious that normally the signal will be raised above the surface of the roadway but that if an automobile should pass across the signal, the signal would be depressed into the tank as shown in dotted lines in Figure 2 and that the signal would rise again to the surface and be again displayed after the vehicle had passed. If a chance vehicle should strike the sign from the side or end, the sides and ends being beveled, the stop signal will be depressed either at one end or wholly, without injury to the vehicle or to the sign.

The sloping walls at the ends of the sign and the fact that the walls 15 are rounded provides that a slanting blow will not injurey the sign but will cause it to be depressed in the manner heretofore stated. While I do not wish to be limited to any particular material for the sign, light sheet steel or galvanized iron is indicated. It will be seen Y ioc in, and a buoyant sign supported by said liquid in a position where it is displayed above the surface of the roadway, the sign being depressible into the liquid against its own buoyancy.

2. A traffic sign comprising a tank sunk into the roadway and flush with the surface thereof and adapted to be filled with liquid and a buoyant sign having a float resting on said liquid, the sign normally being disposed above the surface of the roadway but being depressible upon being struck by a vehicle.

3. A traiiic sign comprising a tank sunk into the roadway and flush with the surface thereof and adapted to be filled with liquid and a buoyant sign having a float resting on said liquid, the sign normally being disposed above the surface of the roadway but being depressible upon being struck by a vehicle, the sign having upwardly and inwardly eX- tending sides and ends.

4. A traiiic sign comprising a tank sunk into the roadway and flush with the surface thereof and adapted to be filled with liquid and a buoyant sign having a iioat resting on said liquid, the sign normally being disposed above the surface of the roadway but being depressible upon being struck by a vehicle, the sign having upwardly and inwardly eX- tending sides and ends, said ends being transversely rounded.

5. A traffic sign comprising a tank sunk into a roadway and having liquid therein, a sign proper coacting with said tank comprisying a hollow chamber resting on the liquid in the tank, upright tubular members eX- tending upward from the chamber and a hollow sign proper carried upon said members, the sign proper being triangular in cross section and having upwardly and inwardly sloping ends, the ends being transversely rounded, the sign proper carrying a traffic direction.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

LE ROY N. CONSER. 

